The Nightmare
by Lugosi
Summary: This fic is the result of FAR too much free time plain and simple. CotC 1 based mostly about Malachi and me own character named Michelle] NOT A FLUFF No flames, okay? This is just a latenight blurb.


** _Well… last night Lain had a fever and took some cold medicine… Lain took the cold medicine at about 11:45 p.m… the cold medicine says right on the label that it works for 5-6 hours… and also says that it will keep you up for 5-6 hours… now, this story is the perfect example of why you should never give Lain free time (… or cold medicine…). So- I don't own nothin' 'cept Michelle and you all know that so I don't even know why I have to bother sayin' it? NOW… please enjoy the show._

  **"D**eborah!"

  The sudden burst of the shout that tore through the air shocked her and caused her to jump and drop the book she had been reading; her place in the story lost forever.

  Well, maybe not _forever_.

  The pale face of the main character – Nora – store back up at her from the cover… frightened, as if begging for help.

  Her dark green eyes traced up to the one who had disturbed her so. The face of Amos store back at her. Her eyes were such a shocker against the paleness of her skin and her (thick, chin-length) ash blonde hair... even her _clothes_ were usually light; though a calico tank dress (her favorite) right now.

  _Michelle_, she thought. Pronouncing her name slowly in her mind, _or, if that's too hard for you, you could try Mico. I prefer that, anyway._

  "You have been summoned to meet behind the library."

  The library! Hah! A rickety old building that had once been great; now torn and spray painted by the children... apparently; it was a place of blasphemy or something.

  Mico flinched. She hated it when they used poor Amos for their bidding... he was a nice kid; he didn't need to be all mixed up with them. I mean; if he had to be here at all, at the least they could leave him out of the mager affairs.

  Before she could ask who she was to meet; Amos disappeared.

  _Alright_, Mico thought, _I'll go, anyway, if you don't want to tell me..._

  Frowning, a little, she bounced off her bed, picked the poor soft cover book off the floor and set it on her bed side table, and then left her room and began out to this "meeting".

  **_W_**_hy did I do this?_

  Mico pondered as she wandered through the darkness of night. She hugged herself tight; shivering. _I should have thrown on my coat before I left_..., she thought. There was a chilly breeze flowing tonight... maybe winter was coming early; Mico didn't know. She just knew it was bloody chilly!

  _Here's behind the library_, she thought, entering the dark space. _Where's Isaac or who ever the Hell I'm supposed to be here for?_

  She stopped when she was about half way through "behind the library" space... and stood. The what-would-be back door to the building wasn't far to her right... and the vast, lush corn field wasn't far to her left.

  _I'm a corn and library sandwich!_

  All was silent... everything... the only thing that even moved was the corn; swaying steadily in the cool breeze.

  Mico waited... and waited... and waited. When she finally decided to go back home she turned around and shrieked... a long, shrill scream that dragged out of her lungs as if it has been waiting there, to escape, for all of eternity.

  Malachi laughed. "Scared you, didn't I?"

  Mico shoved him... hard. He stumbled back several steps and almost fell flat on his ass... but his hand caught him on the railing to the steps of the library back door. An angry scrawl twisted on his more then already ugly-enough face.

  "Bitch!" he barked.

  Mico took a step back. Malachi stumbled to stand up. Once he did; Mico took another step back. Malachi stood still in place for a long, long time. Mico began to ease up... but just as she did this; Malachi sprang forward and grabbed her. She tried to twist free of his grasp but he was _way_ to strong for her. With minimal effort; he wrestled her around a bit before slamming her hard against the back outside wall of the library. He pinned her hands above her head and stuck his butt-ugly face right up in her not-so-ugly one... so close; she could feel his hot, sticky breath on her chilly skin.

  "What makes_ you_ think you can get away with doing something like _that_ to _me, _Deborah?" Mico turned her face away, trying to escape the sour smell of his breath. "... Oh, yeah, you liked to be called by your blasphemous name, right? _Michelle_!"

  He said it like it was the most horrid of curse words.

  "Well, _Michelle_... I think we're at a grave disagreement that has to be solved immediately." Malachi went on. Mico debated spitting on his face in her mind.

  "How do you intend to do that?" She challenged. He couldn't get away with hurting her... not without Isaac whooping his ass for it. Malachi was not to do anything without Isaac's permission.

  "Well, Michelle," Malachi paused for a long moment... eyeing her with the oddest look in his eyes. Mico's brows narrowed in a peculiar way and she checked herself over quickly.

  _What? WHAT?_, she demanded all irritated like in her mind.

  "You know... you... you're very pretty." Mico's jaw fell open. What did he say? Did he just say she was _pretty_, of all things? No, no, that couldn't be right.

  "Very... very... pretty." … _He's rambling._

  Suddenly, in all of its horror, it struck Mico what that meant... what he wanted. He began to lay kisses on her chin-bone. Mico tried to break her arms free but he held them down hard against the building... every time she lifted her wrists, even a little, he slammed them back down tighter then they had previously been.

  "Malachi... Stop it!" she barked. He ignored her. "Stop it! I'm warning you..."

  Malachi laughed. "Warning me of what, _Michelle_?"

  Mico laid a hard blow to his groin... kneeing him where it _really_ counts. "That," she chimed.

  Malachi growled, even through his pain, and Mico knew it was time to go… she forced her feet – which felt stuck to the ground – to move… to run… to run away. But, before she knew it, she heard a loud bellow behind her… Malachi. He was after her, now.

  Mico forced down the little shriek that wanted to bubble up from her throat and fly through her lips. She really was scared, deep insider… her heart racing, pounding, so hard and so fast she feared it would quit.

  Malachi's breathing was deep growls behind her… the in; violent and rugged… the out; weazy and harsh. Mico shot a quick glance over her shoulder… though the night was dark, only lit by moonlight and the only moon light that shined through was little bits that escaped through the tares in the clouds; she could still see how red with rage his face was… the features drawn and distorted in such a hideous form.

  He had his hunting knife drawn and posed towards the heavens, now… though, she knew with sickening realization, he'd much rather have it posed towards her heart… ready to sever.

  Mico's breath came in gasps. Her knees began to ache. She knew he was gaining; but when she looked over her shoulder he was right behind her.

  Malachi tackled her belly-down to the ground. The grass felt soft and moist with dew underneath her body that was so forcefully shoved into it. It smelled good, too, and was somehow comforting… for maybe a second or two… before she remembered the big stupid oaf that was on top of her.

  The moonlight caught the pointy blades of grass and made them shine silver… as silver as the hunting knife that Malachi brought around and lay against her throat… like a million little hunting knives all in pretty little rows littering the ground.

  "Now," Malachi hissed into her ear. "Are you going to say you're sorry?"

  _Sorry!_ _Sorry_ was all he wanted? That was unbelievable; there had to been more then that… Mico chose her words carefully: -

  "Um… Malachi… I… uh… of course I'm sorry… infact," she changed her voice to a purr. "Now that I think about it… I really… can't understand why I_ ever_ resisted you."

  Mico could feel Malachi's lips, brushing against the skin of the side/back of her neck, twist into a smirkish smile. "I knew you'd come to your sense, eventually," he said, slipping the knife away and leaving her pale skin unmarked by its blade. Powerfully, he turned her over… a shot at a sexy smile that just turned out really pathetic and fake twirled on his face. Mico smiled, back.

  Malachi lowered his head to kiss her. Mico interrupted by setting a finger against his lips. Softly, she whispered: "Just one thing first."

  As he spoke, she removed her finger. His voice said soft and gentle: "And what is that?"

  Malachi never saw her hand grasp at something not-so-far-away… something he had dropped and forgotten. Her slender hand with its pale long fingers rapped around the handle… and then, brought it around hard… stabbing where ever she could.

  The hunting knife! The hunting knife tore through his shoulder blade… stopping against bone. Malachi screamed and rolled over. Mico took this as her opportunity to get away. She slid out from under him and began crawling on all fours to scurry a crossed the yard… but she didn't make it very far.

  Before she knew it; there was a searing pain in her ankle… the closest ankle to Malachi; her right. She cried out as the pure white ache thundered through her ankle and up her leg.

  She looked back to see the knife standing straight up in the back of her leg… blood seeping out around it and on to the fresh, lush grass… staining it from green to crimson.

  Mico was frozen in horror for a long moment after seeing the look of lust on Malachi's face. It was so evil… so hurtful! He loved her pain! He was most definitely getting off on it.

  Mico didn't know what to do… she had no idea; she was frozen… as Malachi crawled closer and closer over the grass… breathing heavy with that look on his face! _That look_!

  Suddenly, it hit her. It hit her like a fish in the face.

  _Run…_

_  Run. I don't care if you spent the whole time hopping on one leg just run!_

  And so she did… she scurried up onto her feet (or should I say 'foot'?), leaving the hunting knife in her ankle so she wouldn't bleed to death, and limped a crossed the yard as fast as she could.

  Malachi realized what she was doing and finally stood up. He watched her and walked towards her and began to laugh when he discovered that, when walking at a quickened pace, he could walk faster then she could hop… and tested this over and over again… teasing Mico.

  _Help_, she thought desperately, _somebody please help!_

  Then, as if a sign from God or something, she saw the one thing that could help… Rachael's house! Rachael Colby; an extremely loyal follower of Isaac… she'd never let this take place! Not if she knew it was happening! Now all Mico had to do was aware her.

  "Rachael!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "Rachael! Rachael, please!"

  Malachi growled, realizing what she was doing, and jumped over to her… grasping her shoulders hard from behind; now pain seared through them like lightning rods… but none as bad as the pain that was steadily throbbing in her ankle.

  "What do you think you're doing?" he growled in her ear. Mico ignored him and kept yelling for Rachael as loud as her little voice would allow.

  "Shut up!" he hissed/barked. Reaching down; he yanked his knife out of her ankle. Mico yelped at the pain that increased so dramatically at the absence of the object. Malachi snickered.

  "Racha-ael!" Mico begged one last time. Malachi pressed his already bloodied hunting knife to her throat.

  _It's useless_, Mico realized, _I'm going to die!_

  Just then, her hopes died… and just then, a light shined on in the house of Rachael and the brown-haired girl emerged; a dumb-founded but all-hell look hardened on her face.

  "What on Earth..?" she proclaimed.

  It took a long, long time for the scene to sink in for Rachael… but when it did; look out. "Malachi!"

  Malachi dropped the knife away from Mico's throat and, after a long pause, let her go completely. Mico hadn't been expecting it; she fell down to her knees on the ground, her ankle zapped with sudden pain even greater then before. She howled as its agonizing force ran scolding through her body.

  "What?" Malachi spat as if he had done nothing.

  "What have you done to Deborah?" Rachael hissed. Then she turned her dark brown eyes – much kinder – to Mico… and whispered, soothingly. "Come here, children. You're alright now."

  Mico thumbled over as fast as she could, forced to limp because of her ankle that had now turned almost her entire foot and ankle after that shimmering red. She couldn't quite stand up but she threw her arms around Rachael's waist and slinked up at her side… to Mico's surprise (but not so much to Rachael's) she began crying as an abused being would… tears flowing in stream after stream down her face.

  Rachael just held her arms around as much of Mico as she could, watching Malachi with scornful eyes.

  "Isaac will be _extremely_ displeased when I tell him of this incident!" Rachael went on heatedly.

  "I didn't do anything to her!" Malachi defended.

  "You call_ this_," Rachael gestured to Mico's damaged ankle. "- nothing?!"

  Malachi fidgeted but had nothing to say except: "I didn't do nothin' to her…"

  Mico watched him wander away, Malachi waving away Rachael's comments and insults and threats, Mico balling like a madman against Rachael's dull purple skirt.

  "Come on," Rachael finally came to terms with the fact that Malachi had totally blown her off and went away and turned her attention back to the injured party. "Let's get you inside and clean you off… you can stay at my house for the night… or as long as you like until that ankle heals."

  Mico sobbed but forced her voice as steady as possible as she said: "Is it o-over?"

  "Yes," Rachael whispered, soothingly. "It's all over, Deborah… now come on inside and tell me what happened, okay?"

  Mico whipped the tears from her eyes, even though they would just come right back, and limped along with Rachael's help into the house… she was safe now, from Malachi… and the nightmare was over.

The nightmare was over.


End file.
